I actually heard this on the radio the other night, hence my looking for it on YouTube. I hadn’t heard the song in several years, and I don’t recall ever hearing it on the radio. In any case, it caught my mood this morning.

The song was more of a college radio hit, it did not reach the level of “Mayor Of Simpleton”. It was not on the original pressings of “Skylarking” but “Dear God” was popular enough, it was placed on the album.

Funny thing, this came out in 1986, when the PMRC was in full swing. I read a lot of literature from them at that time (I was a college DJ and Frank Zappa sent sent copies of their work to every radio station.) and the PMRC did not condemn XTC.

Funny that you should post on this today – I just heard it on Thursday on Sirius 18 (The Spectrum) on Carol Miller’s slot (the WNEW-FM legend from my adolescence). What a fabulous song – and what a fabulous band!

I liked them way back when “Making Plans for Nigel” came out. Was that ’82 or something? I liked the album with “The Hop” on it but I haven’t heard that stuff in decades. Time to add some stuff to the pod.

Slightly off topic but if you enjoy “Skylarking” era XTC, you must check out The Dukes Of The Stratosphere. Yep, an XTC side project. Call it an extension of the psychedelic sound of that era. “Chips From the Chocolate Fireball” has everything they did as The Dukes, the “25 O’Clock” ep and the “Psonic Psunspot” lp. I happen to really like “Bike Ride To The Moon” and “Have You Seen Jackie?”

It reminds me of being 13 again. This used to be on MTV’s 120 minutes all the time, which I watched and recorded obsessively. I probably still have some ancient and unplayable VHS tapes with this video on it.

And not to dis Ed Brayton but holy crap. You, dear Orac, have much better taste in music. Please do more lazy Sunday blogging

My favorite XTC album is English Settlement…it’s full of brilliant social commentary.

From “Melt the Guns”-

I’m speaking to the justice league of America
the U.S of A, hey you, yes you in particular!
when it comes to – the judgement day
and you’re stood at the gates with your weaponry
you dare clasp your hands in prayer
and start quoting me’ cos we say….
our father we’ve managed to contain the epidemic
in one place now
let’s hope they shoot themselves instead of others
help to sterilize the race now.
we’ve trapped the cause of the plague
in the land of the free and the home of the brave
if we listen quietly we can hear them shooting
from grave to grave.
you ought to melt the guns melt the guns
melt the guns and never more to fire them
melt the guns melt the guns
melt the guns and never more desire them.

“Senses Working Overtime” and “No Thugs in Our House” are also especially wonderful.

XTC is the kind of band where you want to claim them as your own little find. I must relate this little tidbit.

I saw them play at the very old-time California Theatre on 4th Ave downtown San Diego California, on April 3 1982. Jools Holland opened for them.

As it turns out, this little performance was their last ever live concert.

It was the first night of a new North American tour supporting the English Settlement album, the first show they attempted after Andy Partridge had a nervous breakdown attempting a show in Paris the previous month.

They got through what I thought was a spectacular show, and the next night they were scheduled at the Hollywood Bowl.

They refused to go onstage, flew out of town, and the rest is history.

Go ahead and hate me if you want. I’ve got my little piece of history and I’m perfectly happy with it.